Le Mans Classics Breakdown. Interesting find!!!!

Le Mans Classics Breakdown. Interesting find!!!!

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Paul.B

Original Poster:

3,937 posts

263 months

Sunday 13th July 2014
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Long story short, my Cerbera had an issue on the drive back from Le Mans Classics this year.
Slight down hill section heading into a village just south of Alencon doing about 35mph in 4th gear in a line of traffic I suddenly get this almighty knocking somewhere from the rear drivetrain. Coast to a halt and park the car up. No warning, no vibrations or noises before the event! I recover the car within 24-hrs back to home and leave parked up for the rest of the week.

I have just come out from the garage and a little confused!! The problem was all the bolts in the nearside Drive Shaft where it attaches to the diff were out or loose. x4 were completely undone but present. x1 was laying between the Fuel Pump & Chassis and the sixth one was still connected but very loose and bent. So the Drive Shaft was in effect disconnected. There is a little damage to the Chassis where it has flailed around when it first happened but nothing major, but part from that nothing else.

So I have removed the shaft and will clean, re-grease and re-fit with x12 new Bolts & Spring Washers. There was no sign of Thread Lock so will apply some when re-fitting meaning a very cheap fix.

The most worrying thing was the lack of warning. As I said, no vibrations & no noises beforehand. Just Bang, Bang, Bang . . . . . . ! Fortunately we were in no rush and were not 'enjoying' the performance when it went.

So next time you have the car in the air, check your bolts are tight.

scotty_d

6,795 posts

193 months

Sunday 13th July 2014
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I think we passed each other and flashed down there.

I know where you are coming from I had a Tuscan that nearly did this most bolts were slack due to poor workmanship from a ex employee who apparently had a habit of not tighten things!!! I picked it up after 500 mile drive when I first bought it.

Mine was on my ramp for 2 days prior to the trip getting spanner bashed to make sure all was well, worth while doing.

Superjuiced

257 posts

193 months

Tuesday 15th July 2014
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The problem is torquing them right up on that side. with the fuel pump in the way it doesn't leave u much room to get a decent torque bar in there. just cracking the bolts when taking mine off I had to stand on a huge breaker. I went to classic last time round but my diff gave up on the way back. still haven't managed to get it back on the road!!

Paul.B

Original Poster:

3,937 posts

263 months

Tuesday 15th July 2014
quotequote all
Superjuiced said:
The problem is torquing them right up on that side. with the fuel pump in the way it doesn't leave u much room to get a decent torque bar in there. just cracking the bolts when taking mine off I had to stand on a huge breaker. I went to classic last time round but my diff gave up on the way back. still haven't managed to get it back on the road!!
Cheers - I have the car on axle stands at the moment. If I have difficulties I will get it on a 4-poster to do the final tweak.

Scotty - I think we spotted each other on the Friday? wavey

esso

1,849 posts

216 months

Tuesday 15th July 2014
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I had my inboard joint disintegrate last year and i`m sure it was due to the bolts coming loose....locktite them in and torque them up.....tight!

scotty_d

6,795 posts

193 months

Tuesday 15th July 2014
quotequote all
Paul.B said:
Scotty - I think we spotted each other on the Friday? wavey
It was the Friday Paul, just caught you and shouted to the other half " CERB" she missed you smile

Tanguero

4,535 posts

200 months

Tuesday 15th July 2014
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I have had exactly this too! Fortunately at low speed as well. Bent a brace on my freshly restored and powder coated chassis within weeks of finishing the restoration. mad

Paul.B

Original Poster:

3,937 posts

263 months

Saturday 26th July 2014
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I have re-assembled the car today. Replaced all 24 bolts holding the Drive Shafts on with new ones and added some of these little gems ……



Nordlock Washers

I'm reliably informed they are aircraft/defence standard and should be well up to the task. I have upped the torque slightly to 35 ft/lbs and marked them all for reference. Just need to sort the geo now as I had the nearside suspension apart to get that shaft out.

Edited by Paul.B on Saturday 26th July 18:32

ukkid35

6,138 posts

172 months

Saturday 26th July 2014
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Well impressed with your over engineered solution, but not your reaction to the original problem.

TVRs are well known to disassemble themselves once they leave Blackpool, the way you handle this is part of the experience.

My own WTF moment was when all the steering wheel boss machine screws backed out on the way back from Spa - I was not expecting that.

robsco

7,822 posts

175 months

Sunday 27th July 2014
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ukkid35 said:
Well impressed with your over engineered solution, but not your reaction to the original problem.

TVRs are well known to disassemble themselves once they leave Blackpool, the way you handle this is part of the experience.

My own WTF moment was when all the steering wheel boss machine screws backed out on the way back from Spa - I was not expecting that.
Edited down due to one's own utter stupidity.



Edited by robsco on Wednesday 30th July 17:22